Outdoors blog

TRANSITIONS -- The Outdoors Blog is evolving. After nearly 41 years as Outdoors editor at The Spokesman-Review, Rich Landers has officially retired. He will continue writing occasionally as an Outdoors correspondent, but the reins of the department and Outdoor coverage have been handed to the...

WILDLIFE WATCHING -- Bald eagles by the hundreds this week have smashed the record for their annual gathering at Lake Coeur d'Alene to feed on spawning kokanee. A record 314 bald eagles was counted today in the survey of the eagle season by Carrie Hugo,...

WINTERSPORTS -- The December issue of Powder Magazine lists Spokane as one of four up and coming 'Ski Towns' as opposed to the storied locales of Jackson, Telluride, Mammoth and Sun Valley. The reason: You don't have to be freakin' filthy rich in order to...

WILDLIFE WATCHING -- With no snow on the ground, a white snowy owl stands out in the Lincoln County landscape on Saturday. Snowy owls are arctic birds that come south as far as the northern tier of states to hunt rodents during winter. They're stunning...

PARKS -- Washington State Parks are offering their own sort of deal for Black Friday -- free access. Entrance fees and Discover Pass requirements for vehicles will be waived on the day after Thanksgiving. The passes cost $10 a day or $30 for a year....

HUNTING -- The discovery of chronic wasting disease in free-ranging deer in Montana this fall means restrictions for sportsmen who come from CWD-free states to hunt deer, elk or moose there. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has filed an emergency rule that adds...

WINTERSPORTS -- Sarah Brede of Spokane went "tree skiing" near Thompson Pass on Sunday, bringing a fresh Christmas tree nearly 1,000 vertical feet back to the vehicle. “We had a great day looking for a tree while making some powder turns,” said her husband, Mike...

WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT -- Two people from Spokane have been appointed to a 20-member advisory committee to help the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife a with strategic planning, development of legislative proposals and future budget requests. David Cloe of the Inland Northwest Wildlife Council and...

FISHING -- The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has scheduled public meetings in a step toward revising management of the state's salmon and steelhead fishing guide industry. All meetings are scheduled from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.: East Wenatchee: Nov. 20, Douglas County PUD...

RIVERS -- Boggan's Oasis, an iconic cafe and fishing staging area on the Grande Ronde at SR 129 near Anatone, Wash., burned to the ground during the night into this morning. No injuries reported. For decades, Boggan's has served as a base for getting fishing...

The Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour lineup of films starting tonight in Spokane was decided this afternoon, and ticket holders should be thrilled with the mix of adventure, adrenaline, culture and humor...

WILDLIFE WATCHING -- Kokanee are spawning and dying in North Idaho's two largest lakes and bald eagles have begun congregating for the annual feast. Dozens of eagles are congregating at Granite Creek and in the Bayview shoreline area to take advantage of revived kokanee fisheries...

TRAILS -- A statewide non-profit outdoor service group is looking for more members to achieve its simple goal of keeping Idaho's nonmotorized trails open and usable. The Idaho Trails Association is looking for more members to join trail building and maintenance projects next season, said...

HUNTING -- Lab tests have confirmed chronic wasting disease in a mule deer buck killed Oct. 22 by a hunter in Hunting District 510 south of Billings, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials reported today. Now that Montana is a CWD-positive state, it's likely to...